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Young Runners For two years now, seven-year-old Miray has been training hard with a goal in mind and she says even a little pain cant slow her down. “Maybe if I had a cramp I would try to run it off I guess, try to run faster to make it go away,” says Miray. While Mirays parents are pleased shes so driven, they also recognize there are dangers. In young athletes, bone-tendon muscle units, growth areas within bones, and ligaments experience uneven growth patterns leaving them susceptible to injury. Parents should be wary of the signs. “Complaining of shin splints, pain in their knees, have problems walking afterward or problems walking up steps cause they just have a tightness or pain in their knees,” explains Kevin Mason, a professor of Pediatrics. For young runners before the age of ten, pediatricians recommend that kids limit distances to a mile or mile and a half. And while parents may consider kids to be naturally limber, for them, stretching before any workout is as important as it is for older athletes. |
“Maybe if I had a cramp I would try to run it off I guess, try to run faster to make it go away.” Miray, age 7 |
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WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW We want our children to know that fitness is important. We want them to be involved In sports activities that are enjoyable and that encourage the development of fitness, motor skills, social skills and life-long appreciation. For the most part, sports activities for young people are not high risk and are generally safe. But, it is the extreme we need to be concerned about. Kids are playing more intensely these days and often without the proper conditioning, warm-up or recovery time. This can often result in injuries some minor, some serious, and still others that can cause lifelong medical problems. Young athletes should not be looked at as smaller versions of an adult. There are marked differences in coordination, strength and stamina between a youth and an adult. In younger athletes, bone-tendon, muscle units, growth areas within bones, and ligaments experience uneven growth patterns, leaving them susceptible to injury. Watching for early signs of physical problems is important. Many sports injuries in young athletes are caused by excessive, repetitive stress on immature muscle-bone units. It is the responsibility of parents and coaches to provide protection for young athletes through proper conditioning, proper treatment of injuries and rehabilitation programs. Parents also need to make sure their childs coach has the proper training to supervise the particular sport their child is involved in. The environment should be a positive one that emphasizes healthy competition and not just about winning. |
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Resources
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Way Cool Running The New Jersey Association of USA Track and Field http://www.usatl.org/assoc/nj/
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Morehouse School of Medicine http://www.msm.edu |
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